About the Meade LX850 German Equatorial Mount with StarLock Without A Tripod...

Meade Instruments proudly introduces the new standard in astrophotographic performance, the Meade LX850 Mount with StarLock dual imager full time autoguider. Includes AutoStar II GOTO system with over 144,000 object library and all the features an advanced visual observer or astrophotographer would ever want. Take your imaging to the next level. Note: This product does NOT include a tripod.

The Meade LX850 Mount with StarLock, constructed of machined stainless steel and aircraft grade aluminum is a rock solid platform for the most demanding applications, with a 90 pound payload capacity and pointing accuracy as good as one arc minute. Features include precision roller bearings on each axis, a 1.75 stainless steel RA shaft, 5.8" main gears, fine manual adjustment controls on both axis, illuminated reticle output port, telescope to computer USB cable and AutoStar Suite software. Mount main body weight is 55 pounds.

The Meade LX850 Mount includes StarLock - the revolutionary new technology that makes target acquisition on your imaging sensor and accurate guiding during exposures completely automatic. With Meade's exclusive LightSwitch technology at its core, StarLock uses an 80mm f/5 optic and two camera sensor system to provide computer assisted polar alignment using the drift method. Once aligned the StarLock is guiding the mount in real time, and even automatically programs periodic error correction, achieving a guiding accuracy of up to 1 arcsecond in good seeing and with the capability of guiding on stars as faint as 11th magnitude.

The Meade LX850 Mount with StarLock features DC-servo motors on each axis with a maximum slew speed of 3 degrees per second, allowing slewing 180 degrees to the opposite side of the sky in one minute flat. Fine slewing and photographic guiding speeds can be adjusted from .01x to 1x sidereal, with faster slewing at 2x, 8x, 16x, or 1/4, 1/2, 1 or 3 degrees per second. The mount and all electronics are externally powered by the included Meade Universal Power Supply (12V). An external DC battery or power pack may also be used; Meade 607 Power Cord sold separately. The mount includes both mechanical locks and slow motion manual controls in both axis if for some reason you found yourself without power. Includes single 26 pound stainless steel counterweight, additional weights sold separately. LX800 mount shown in photo, LX850 mount similar. This package does NOT include any tripod as it is intended for users who already have a suitable sturdy tripod or a fixed pier.

Latest Submitted Astrophotos!

I love Algonquin Park, I'''ve been going there since I was a kid. (Located in Northern Ontario, Canada) Here are some shot'''s of I have taken recently. All the planets shot'''s were taken with a ToUcam pro and my LX-200GPS. The lunar shot was taken with my Nikon 995 and that Celestron comet catcher I picked up...

This is actually a snapshot from actual footage I took of the planet Neptune. The image has been brightened so everyone is able to see it better as we all know how far Neptune is from the Sun and how dim it is!
Date: 3 August 2013